Texas Almanac, 1945-1946 Page: 157
[610] p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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Fauna of Texas-Wildlife Conservation
The value annually of all forms of wildlife
in the economy of Texas has been estimated
by the United States Forest Service at more
than $90,000,000. This includes a variety of
items-value of meat, value of furs, economic
value resulting from destruction of insects by
bird life, the fish catch and sportsmen's and
tourists' expenditures.
Every area in the state has potentialities
for preservation of some form of wildlife.
An estimated 40 per cent of the area is ex-
cellently adapted to preservation and prop-
agation because of natural cover, sparsity of
population and water resources; another 40
per cent is considered relatively well adapted.
Wildlife Regions.
The eastern half of the Edwards Plateau,
known as the Hill Country, is recognized as
the best adapted of all regions in Texas.
This is in Southwest Texas. It is rolling to
rough, has innumerable spring-fed streams,
is well covered with oak, mesquite, cedar and
brush. It has a sparse population, the main
economy being based on sheep, goat and
cattle raising. Here is found the larger part
of the deer and wild turkey population.
South of this region is the Brush Country,
extending to the Rio Grande. It is well cov-
ered, but has less water. The Chisos, Davis,
Guadalupe and other mountain ranges of the
Trans-Pecos Region are fine natural game
preserves. Outstanding as a wildlife sanctu-
ary is the Big Bend National Park of 707,-
895.45 acres with its varied vegetation and
animal life. Hunting or the disturbance of
any natural feature of the park is prohibited.
One of the best natural game preserves is
the Big Thicket of Southeast Texas, which
has the heaviest cover of any region and an
abundance of water. Ruthless hunting in
the past has depopulated much of its game
life, but protective laws are gradually in-
creasing it. The entire Pine Forest area of
East Texas and the Post Oak Belt, just west
of it, are excellent game shelters, though a
greater density of population makes them
less adapted to game propagation than the
sparsely settled Edwards Plateau and border
region. The broken area in North Central
and Middle West Texas and broken country
below the Cap Rock escarpment are adapted
to game preservation. Law enforcement and
public co-operation is increasing the game
population on the open prairies of Middle
West Texas. Bays and Inlets along the coast
are ideally adapted to bird life. (See pp.
132-137.)
Wildlife Conservation.
Administration of the garfe and fish laws
of Texas is under the State Game, Fish and
Oyster Commission. The commission's an-
nual report for the fiscal year ended Aug.
31, 1944, declared that the "game depart-
ment is keeping abreast of the times in its
efforts to replenish and protect the game
and fish supply of the state for sportsmen
abroad and those at home who will have time
to enjoy the outdoors when conditions return
to normal." Violations of game and fish
laws have consistently declined for the past
several years and the last fiscal year was
no exception, the report added.
Texas current progress in wildlife conser-
vation and restoration is in contrast to the
latter part of the last century and the early
part of this century when extinction of
nearly all kinds of valuable game animals
was threatened. The pioneer was slow to
awake to the need of game conservation, in
the face of an abundance.
The commission, in addition to enforce-
ment of game protection laws, is charged
with legal responsibility for wildlife re-
search, conservation and restoration. In re-
cent years principal activities of the wildlife
restoration division have been directed to-
ward the increase of deer and turkey in
Southwest Texas, their propagation in EastTexas wooded areas, protection of the white-
winged dove, management of lesser prairie
chicken and muskrat, development of inland
waterfowl refuges, investigation of wildlife
on the Lower Plains, relations of commercial
.1mber to wildlife, experimental game man-
agement of the South Texas chaparral, res-
toration of antelope, beaver and other game
animals in suitable habitats.
During 1943-44 thirteen federal-aid-in-wild-
life-restoration projects were in operation.
More deer were transplanted than in any
previous year. The first antelope hunt in
forty-one years was held in the Trans-Pecos
region. Hunters were selected by lot and
assigned to specific pastures to regulate
take in accordance with numbers and sex
ratios of each band. The commission's annual
report disclosed that turkey numbers con-
tinued to decline, quail were spotted and the
whitewing dove seemed to be holding its own
after several years of decline.
GAME HARVEST.
During the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 1944,
there was a decline in the number of resi-
dents of Texas who hunted and fished.
Shortage of rubber, scarcity of motor fuel
and the large number of sportsmen in the
armed services were factors, according to
the commission's report. Data below give
estimated annual game harvest in Texas:
Game Mammals.
Number
Species- Harvested
Deer ............................... 40.000
Squirrels ............................. 800.000
Armadillos .........................25,000
Javelmas ............................. 20,000
Rabbits .......... 3,500,000
The foregoing represents approximately
7,000,000 pounds of dressed meat.
Game Birds.
Number
Species- c Harvested
Turkeys ............................... 8,560
Ducks ................................. 800,000
Geese ................................. 65,000
Rails and gallinules ..................... 5,000
Doves ............................... 3,000,000
Whitewings .......................... 200,000
Quail .. ...................... .. .3,000,000
The foregoing represents about 5,342,000
pounds of dressed meat.
Fish.
Total pan and game fish and other sea
life harvested, both commercial and amateur,
amounted to about 26,000,000 pounds during
the fiscal year, of which 18,445,567 consti-
tuted the commercial fish crop. (See page
162.)
CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT.
Research is carried on by the Texas Co-op-
erative Wildlife Research Unit, consisting o
the Texas Game, Fish and Oyster Commis-
sion, the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service, the Texas Agricultural and Mechan-
ical College and the American Wildlife Insti-
tute. Texas is one of several states with
such a setup, giving it the advantage of ex-
change of experiences with these other states.
Principal projects given attention during
1943-44, according to the annual report, were
studies of the gray fox, of the food and life
habits of some Texas fur animals, of deer
management and production in the Hill Coun-
try and of management of wild turkey pro-
duction.
Conservation of Fish Resources.
Activities of the state commission for the
protection and propagation of fish life are
carried on in both fresh and salt waters. The
large number of artificial lakes that have
been constructed in Texas in recent years
have been stocked. Pollution constitutes a
problem, both in the streams and in the
ays along the coast, that has been only
partly solved. The present antipollution law
charges the commission with the protection
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Texas Almanac, 1945-1946, book, 1945; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117166/m1/159/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.